View source for Hesse (Hessen), German Empire Genealogy

==Historical Background==
*The '''"Grand Duchy of Hesse"''' was originally formed on the basis of the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1806.
 *After the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, it changed its name in 1816 to distinguish itself from the Electorate of Hesse, which had formed from neighboring Hesse-Kassel. Colloquially, the grand duchy continued to be known by its former name of '''Hesse-Darmstadt.'''

*In 1867, the northern half of the Grand Duchy (Upper Hesse) became a part of the North German Confederation, while the half of the Grand Duchy south of the Main (Starkenburg and Rhenish Hesse) remained Independent.

*It joined the German Empire in 1871.

*It became a republic after German defeat in World War I in 1918.

*After World War II, the majority of the state combined to form the '''new state of Hessen''' , composed of:
**most of Hessen-Darmstadt;
**Frankfurt am Main, 
**the Waldeck area (from Rheinland),
**and the former Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau.
*Excluded were:
** the Montabaur district from Hessen-Nassau, and 
**that part of Hessen-Darmstadt on the left bank of the Rhine (Rheinhessen), which became part of the Rhineland-Palatinate state, and
***(Bad) Wimpfen, an exclave of Hessen-Darmstadt, became part of Baden-Württemberg.
*The term "Rhenish Hesse" (German: Rheinhessen) refers to the part of the former Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt located west of the Rhine. It has not been part of the State of Hesse (Hessen) since 1946. This province is now part of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchy_of_Hesse Wikipedia]